In the process of writing historical fiction, the challenge is often to integrate research about the period into a story that captivates the reader. In my novel The Throne in the Heart of the Sea and its sequel, The Stars in their Courses, one of my characters becomes a physician, so I first had to […]
The Hurricane Headed for Cuba
Cuba has been big news this week. What I’ve gathered from the papers, including readers’ comments, is there seem to be three points of view: 1) Most Americans are happy about the prospect of normal relations between the U.S. and that island nation. 2) A handful of aging anti-Communist exiles, and their Republican supporters, are […]
Assyrian Empire: Blood at the Banquet
By Martha Shelley on December 14, 2014 in Assyria, Empire, Jezebel, Middle East, The Throne in the Heart of the Sea
This week the big news in the U.S. has been about torture, as conducted by the C.I.A. after 9/11. I’ve spent some time with the comments section in my hometown newspaper: the majority of readers are outraged, while some defend the practice. Some even seem naïve enough to be shocked. However, most ruling elites, ours […]
Elijah and Olive Oil
By Martha Shelley on December 7, 2014 in Elijah, Israel, Middle East, Researching a Historical Novel, The Throne in the Heart of the Sea
People have asked me how I went about researching a historical novel. Here’s one example. Developing Elijah was a major challenge, both in my first and second novels. He appears in the Bible quite suddenly, a full-blown champion of justice, complete with miracles. All we know about his past is that he was from a […]
Blood Sacrifice in Israel
Thirty years ago I visited Israel for the first time, partly to do research for my novels about Jezebel. In Jerusalem I passed a store window with small but colorful posters—artistic imaginings—of the ancient Temple, supposedly built by Solomon. The storefront was the information center of a religious group that wanted to tear down the […]
Medusa Coils mentions Stars in their Courses
By Sylvia Allen on November 25, 2014 in Ebisu Publications, Martha Shelley, The Stars in their Courses, The Throne in the Heart of the Sea
Martha’s The Stars in their Courses was mentioned in Medusa Coils. “I have started reading Martha Shelley’s latest novel, The Stars in their Courses. I hope to have a full review in a month or so after I have recovered from carpal tunnel syndrome. But I wanted to let you know that if what I’ve […]
Martha Shelley reading in Portland
By Sylvia Allen on November 20, 2014 in Ebisu Publications, Martha Shelley, Readings, The Stars in their Courses
Martha Shelley is doing a reading at the St. Johns Booksellers of her book, The Stars in their Courses. There’s not a huge crowd but they’re very lively and interested. Martha just read a scene where a Canaanite medical student and priestess of Anat assists in an amputation in Sais, Egypt. Martha is happy to […]
Martha reading right now! in Santa Cruz
By Sylvia Allen on November 8, 2014 in Ebisu Publications, Martha Shelley, The Stars in their Courses
We’re in Santa Cruz where Martha is reading from her new novel, The Stars in their Courses. The energy in the room is great! People keep asking Martha to read more so she keeps reading more. Right now she’s reading a passage where Bez, the female guard, takes down four drunks who attacked her in […]